Tatheer Adnan •  Applied Data Scientist

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I am an

APPLIED DATA SCIENTIST

Tatheer Adnan

Presented by the AMGEN foundation
MY PATH

How I became a polyglot, traveler & applied data scientist.

MAJOR INFLUENCES

  • My Mom

    She was very involved in our community and instilled a love for volunteerism within me.

  • High School Mentor

    In high school, our Program Director, Dr. Davis, showed unwavering support for my intellectual pursuits and was very motivating. It showed me the importance of mentors.

  • College Peers

    I had a very diverse group of friends from a variety of cultures and religious backgrounds. They helped expand and shape my world view.

I want to be part of things I care about and can be inspired by.

I think the real world power of STEM fields is often overlooked in schools when we’re choosing a career path. In my experience, learning STEM skills like research and coding was a way for me to work on issues I really care about. If we want to make the world a better place, we have to have the data to understand what that means, so understanding the data can make you a better advocate.

Major Milestones

New York City International Science & Engineering Research Fair

I was invited to show my work at this fair during high school. Through that experience, and others like it, I gained practical skills in communicating about science and my work.

Learning data science

Being able to use data science to make an impact on a social issue that I am passionate about was a real game changer. That is what initially sparked my interest in the field.

Working for the LA County Department of Health Services

After graduating, I tried on different roles at Museum of Science, Amgen, and for the government. It showed me how many different paths are possible if you build useful skills.

Things I learned

along the way:

  • The only constant is change.

    The field of data science is constantly changing, so it’s important to find the way that works best for you to learn. You can start anywhere from online games to interactive websites that can help you advance your skill set.

  • Religion and science can easily coexist.

    Religion is about having faith in something you can't prove, while science is chasing the opposite. I think it’s important for people to understand that many scientists are religious and many faithful people embrace science. The important takeaway is recognizing that wherever you fall on that spectrum is okay, and there’s nothing stopping you from being both.

  • You’ll learn more from failure than by choosing the easy path.

    I tried things that didn’t always work for me, but it was important to give myself permission to experiment with different career paths. Along the way, I learned important skills and a lot about myself. The perfect job for you might not be one you can can choose from a list — it might be a constant evolution.

  • There are many different ways to serve the causes you care about.

    You don’t necessarily have to work at charities to do mission-driven work (although that can be a great path too!). There are a lot of research institutions, museums, policy organizations, etc. that need passionate people with STEM skills to help move their causes forward.

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Tandem Photo • Illustrator: Hala Al-Abbasi

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